City's first ever hybrid electric taxi unveiled

Peterborough's first ever hybrid hackney carriage has been unveiled and the state-of-the-art vehicle is already making use of the city's growing number of charging points.

Taxi driver Tahir Ali recently registered the electric vehicle with Peterborough City Council and has started transporting customers, with the vehicle available for private hire through Peterborough Cars.

The taxi can transport up to six passengers and comes equipped with air conditioning, usb charging points, spacious leather seats, a large panoramic roof and is fully wheelchair accessible.

Hybrid taxis are becoming a common sight in the city and across the UK and offer drivers and passengers many benefits, including a smooth quiet ride and fuel savings of up to £100 a week.

Drivers can look to cover over 100 miles per day with an overnight electric charge and top-ups, as well as paying a reduced amount of road tax.

The taxis are set to become a more common sight, with plans in the pipeline to extend the number of charging points in the city from the current number of eight to 16 over the next year.

Councillor Peter Hiller, Peterborough City Council's portfolio holder for environment, said: "We are committed to being an environmentally friendly city and are actively looking at new ways in which to help achieve and promote this.

"Hybrid taxis will become a more common sight on our roads over the next few years and that's why we are preparing to increase the number of charging points in the city.

"Having inspected the vehicle myself it's very impressive and I'm sure everyone who uses it will enjoy the experience."

Earlier this year it was revealed that Peterborough saw the biggest increase in electric vehicles anywhere in the country between September 2016 and September 2017 (rising by 52 per cent from 5,425 to 8,249).

Back in 2012, the were just 12 electric cars registered in the city, showing the progress that has been made in a short period of time.